Roy Spence is the co-founder and chairman of GSD&M, an Austin-based advertising agency. With his significant background in the advertising industry, Roy and his team have played a pivotal role in shaping Austin's reputation as a city of ideas and innovation. Roy is also the founder of Make It Movement, a non-profit organization that helps young people discover their own purpose. In this episode, we will delve into Roy's journey as a business leader and advertising pioneer, exploring the early days of GSD&M, how he navigated the challenges of preserving the core values and purpose of Austin, the role of large events in shaping Austin's narrative, and his vision for the future of Austin. The episode will also shed light on Roy's thoughts on the intersection of purpose, values, and business.

Episode Highlights

• The fundamental challenge that Austin faces with our hypergrowth is navigating the tension between persevering the core and stimulating progress
• The original GSD&M Plan - "Well, we wanna stay together. We wanna stay in Austin. We wanna make a difference and get rich. And we’ve lived up to our business plan"
• "We will continue the journey of punching above our weight...if we will continue to be not just a city of innovation...but a city of new ideas"
• The Make It Movement is about letting young people discover what they could become great at and let them start learning to become great. Whether it's a lawyer or whether it's a welder.
• What's next Austin - "We gotta rediscover what made us. I think Austin should do a citywide purpose project"

Episode Links 

Roy Spence 

GSD&M 

Make It Movement 

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack